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Old 12-11-2018, 05:45 PM   #1
Dalin
 
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Default History of RPGs

A student I know is doing a research project on the history of tabletop role playing games. (He’s a high school senior.) He has interviewed me about my own perceptions, but I’d like to provide him with some suggested books and articles (or other media) for further information. I haven’t done academic research relating to gaming since the mid-1990s, so I’m not-at-all current. Any recommendations from the hivemind?
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Old 12-11-2018, 06:22 PM   #2
MadWombat
 
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Default Re: History of RPGs

I found the "Designers and Dragons" series to be a fairly solid overview of the hobby and industry. It has 4 volumes covering the 70s, 80s, 90s, and 00s.
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Old 12-11-2018, 08:46 PM   #3
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Playing at the World by Jon Peterson.
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Old 12-12-2018, 12:21 AM   #4
Tom H.
 
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Default Re: History of RPGs

I recently read Empire of Imagination: Gary Gygax and the Birth of Dungeons & Dragons, 2015 by Michael Witwer.

There's enough of an overview and progression throughout to chronicle the emergence of the hobby from wargames, to miniatures, to the breakthrough of the RPG concept. I got to see how several pieces came together and concepts evolved from previous experiments until a substantial contribution was made.

Gary's struggles with the fame of TSR and his attempts to create relevant properties after his removal were moving to me. It was tragic to see how he was thwarted from using much of his own intellectual property.

~~~

I also read this article by David Kushner on Wired.com following Gary Gygax's death in 2008:
"Dungeon Master: The Life and Legacy of Gary Gygax"
I can't remember everything it covered, but I know it was enlightening since I hadn't studied the subject.
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Old 12-12-2018, 11:11 AM   #5
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Default Re: History of RPGs

I second "Designers & Dragons," thought it was amazing. Covers the entire industry as well and not just specific publishers (though naturally some get a lot more page count than others).
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Old 12-12-2018, 11:24 AM   #6
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Default Re: History of RPGs

Along with Playing at the World there is the Hawk and Moor series by Kent David Kelly.

https://www.amazon.com/Kent-David-Ke..._cont_ebooks_1

Designers & Dragon provides a decent outline after the initial rise of RPGs in the 70s. But nobody has written a rigorous work on the history of RPG post 70s.
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Old 12-12-2018, 12:28 PM   #7
Tom H.
 
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I've also seen this book around, but haven't read it:
Of Dice and Men: The Story of Dungeons & Dragons and the People Who Play It, 2014 by David M. Ewalt.
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Old 12-12-2018, 06:22 PM   #8
Dalin
 
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Thanks for these suggestions! I might have to pick these up myself.
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Old 12-14-2018, 07:59 PM   #9
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Default Re: History of RPGs

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tom H. View Post
I've also seen this book around, but haven't read it:
Of Dice and Men: The Story of Dungeons & Dragons and the People Who Play It, 2014 by David M. Ewalt.
I don't normally go out of my way to do something like this, but I read "Of Dice and Men," and I would not recommend it. It, for me, seems more like a fan gushing over their hero than an accurate and comprehensive look at either D&D or one of its creators. Much of the book, well some of the book anyway, is the author talking about their own character and their own experience playing D&D - which isn't terrible, but certainly not what the book is claimed to be about.
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